Ireland Legal Assistance

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Refugee protection

Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by Ireland. 

The following sections contain information on the most important international treaties and agreements of which Ireland is signatory, as well as national legislation relevant to the protection of refugees.

Ireland is a signatory to:

In addition to its obligations under the aforementioned international instruments, Ireland is obligated to respect the international customary legal principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits any country from deporting any person to a country where they face the threat of persecution. 

In addition to these international protection frameworks, and as part of the European Union (EU), Ireland is bound by the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) which aims at introducing EU-wide standards for the equal treatment and protection of refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers entering the EU. The system is governed by five legislative instruments and one agency:

The CEAS has been reformed by the New Pact on Migration and Asylum (the Pact), approved in 2024 and set to take effect in 2026. The Pact presents a complex package of ten legislative files intended to reform the EU’s migration and asylum system by establishing new EU-wide solutions to long-standing migration challenges. 

While the Pact has been presented by EU institutions as delivering the intended results while remaining grounded in European values, human rights organisations and migration experts have long opposed and criticised its reforms. Here you can find a point by point analysis of the Pact by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles.

The foundation of Ireland’s modern asylum system was established with the Refugee Act 1996, which introduced comprehensive legislation to govern asylum procedures. The Act created the Refugee Applications Commissioner and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal, responsible for examining and deciding on asylum claims. This legislation provided a detailed process for applying for refugee status, marking Ireland’s formal alignment with international standards.

In 2015, the Irish government enacted the International Protection Act, significantly reforming the asylum process. This legislation introduced a single application procedure, enabling applicants to seek refugee status and subsidiary protection through a streamlined process. By consolidating these applications, the Act reduced delays and administrative burdens, ensuring a more efficient system for processing claims. It also replaced the structures created under the 1996 Act with the International Protection Office and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, centralising decision-making and appeals within a cohesive framework.

Ireland’s Refugee Status Determination (RSD) process is primarily handled domestically through the International Protection Office under the Department of Justice. UNHCR does not conduct RSD in Ireland but plays an advisory role, providing technical support, guidance, and training to ensure that Ireland’s asylum processes align with international standards. UNHCR also monitors the implementation of asylum procedures and advises on policy matters.

The Asylum Information Database (AIDA) provides a summary of the relevant legislation and policy in Ireland, which you can find here.

To apply for asylum in Ireland you must either be: 

  1. At the border: If you arrive at an Irish port of entry (e.g., airport or seaport), you must inform the Immigration Officer immediately that you wish to apply for asylum. They will direct you to the International Protection Office (IPO) to formally lodge your application.
  2. Within Ireland: If you are already in the country, you must go to the International Protection Office (IPO), located at 79-83 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2, to submit your application.

Step 1: applying for asylum

  • Applications must be made in person at the IPO, or at a port of entry.
  • Applicants may include dependent children (under 18 years) in their claim. Newborns in Ireland will also be added to the application unless they are Irish citizens.
  • As of 08 November 2022, applicants must complete the International Protection Questionnaire (IPO2) on the same day they apply. This form requires details about the reasons for seeking asylum. Interpreters or cultural mediators are available to assist.
  • Applicants from designated ‘safe countries of origin’ (Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of North Macedonia, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, the Republic of Albania, the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of South Africa) will receive their interview date on the day of application, usually scheduled within a few weeks, as part of an accelerated procedure.

You should register with the Legal Aid Board immediately for legal assistance. You may also hire a private solicitor.

Step 2: preliminary interview

A preliminary interview will be conducted by the IPO to collect information on your identity, travel route, and reasons for seeking asylum.

  • If you apply at a port of entry, you will be directed to the IPO for further steps.
  • Fingerprints and photographs will be taken, especially for applicants aged 14 and above, to verify if the Dublin Regulation applies (i.e. if you previously applied for asylum in another EU country).
  • You will receive a Temporary Residence Certificate (TRC), granting you permission to stay in Ireland while your application is processed.

Step 3: completing the questionnaire

  • After the preliminary interview, you will complete the IPO2 Questionnaire on the same day. This document requires detailed answers about your circumstances and supporting evidence.
  • If you have special needs (e.g., health issues or gender preference for the interviewer), inform the IPO staff.
  • Attach any relevant documentation, such as proof of persecution or identity papers, to strengthen your application.

Step 4: personal interview 

  • The IPO will schedule a substantive interview to review your case. Applicants from designated ‘safe countries of origin’ will have this interview within weeks of their application.
  • An interpreter will be provided if needed. Ensure you can communicate effectively with them, and inform the IPO of any difficulties.
  • A written record of the interview will be reviewed and signed by you. Corrections can be made before signing.

Step 5: IPO recommendation

The IPO will review all submitted materials, including the interview and questionnaire, to make a recommendation.

  • Possible outcomes: refugee status, subsidiary protection, or a decision not to grant protection.
  • If protection is denied, the Minister for Justice will decide whether to grant permission to remain.

Step 6: appeal to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT)

If the IPO rejects your application, you can appeal to the IPAT within the timeframe specified in your decision letter.

  • Appeals may include an oral hearing. Legal aid is available to help prepare your case.
  • If the appeal is successful, the Minister will issue a declaration granting refugee status or subsidiary protection.

Step 7: permission to remain review 

If all protection options are denied, the Minister may review your case for permission to remain. Submit any new information within 5 working days of receiving the review form. The Minister may grant permission if denying it would violate the principle of non-refoulement (protection against being returned to a place where you face danger).

For more information or assistance, visit UNHCR Ireland and Irish Refugee Council.

Legal aid organisations

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Address: 19 Belvedare Place, Dublin, Ireland
Tel: +353 1 855 2111
Email: info@cairde.ie

Cairde (Challenging Ethnic Minority Health Inequalities) is a community development organisation working to tackle health inequalities among ethnic minority communities by improving ethnic minority access to health services, and ethnic minority participation in health planning and delivery. Cairde works with disadvantaged ethnic minority communities from the continent of Africa; Eastern Europe and the Baltic states.

In regard to legal aid, they run The Health Information and Advocacy Centre (HIAC) which focuses mainly on healthcare access, but also partners with The Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland and Polish Social & Legal Advice Centre to provide legal information to migrants and refugees.

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Address: 70 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2 Dublin, Ireland 2
Tel: +353 1 661 4911 (General Inquiries)  |  +353 1800 778888 (National Hotline)
Email: info@rcc.ie

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is dedicated to preventing the harm and healing the trauma of sexual violence. Although the Centre is based in Dublin, their counsellors take calls from all over the country on the National Helpline, which is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

The Volunteer Services Department provides court accompaniment to any member of the general public who has been a victim of sexual violence and is attending court in relation to this crime, including to refugees and migrants. They also provide a similar accompaniment service when requested by a victim making a statement to the Gardaí, or when accessing other relevant services.

Additionally, the service provides Legal System accompaniment for asylum-seekers to interviews at the Office of the Refugee Applications Commission (ORAC) or to the Refugee Appeals Tribunal.

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Address: 37 Killarney Street, Mountjoy, Dublin, Ireland
Tel: +353 1 764 5854
Email: info@irishrefugeecouncil.ie (General Inquiries)   |  lawcentre@irishrefugeecouncil.ie (Legal Inquiries)

The Irish Refugee Council believes, in accordance with the 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees, that every person has the right to claim asylum and to have their application considered in a fair and transparent manner. The IRC’s priorities are delivering high quality legal support to asylum seekers; supporting and protecting children and young people in the immigration system; public awareness; and capacity building among key players in the asylum system in order to bring about change to practice and policy.

Their Law Centre offers offers legal support across all stages of the international protection process.

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Address: 54-72 Gardiner Street Upper, Dublin 1, D01 TX23 Dublin, Ireland 1
Tel: +353 1 814 8644
Email: info@jrs.ie

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international non-governmental organisation, founded in 1980. Their mission is to accompany, to serve and to advocate for refugees and forcibly displaced persons worldwide.  JRS programmes are found in over 50 countries, providing assistance to refugees in camps, to people displaced within their own country, to asylum seekers in cities and those in detention.

One of their focuses is ensuring a fair, transparent and adequately resourced asylum process that operates efficiently and produces good quality final determinations of protection claims in a timely manner.

For more information on their work, examine the ‘What We Do‘ and ‘Resources‘ pages.

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Address: Quay Street, Cahirciveen, Co. Kerry. V23 RD36
Tel.: +353 066 947 1000
Email: info@legalaidboard.ie

The Legal Aid Board’s Refugee Legal Services (RLS) provides a service to asylum seekers at all stages of the asylum process. If you are applying for asylum in Ireland, you can obtain legal advice and assistance from the RLS to assist you with your application. You may register with the RLS at any stage of the asylum process, but the earlier you apply for legal services the better. They can assist with asylum applications (before submitting your questionnaire to the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner or before you attend your interview in the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner); Appeals (Representation before the Refugee Appeals Tribunal); Refugee status refusals (Assistance in submitting applications for Leave to Remain); Assistance in relation to an application for subsidiary protection; Advice in relation to deportation orders and judicial review; and representation if you are detained in the District Court under Section 9(8) of the Refugee Act.

They can also provide interpreters for appointments with your solicitor.

As well as the three main offices, the RLS also run free legal aid information clinics for refugees in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Ennis (Co. Clare), Athlone (Co. Westmeath), Sligo, Tralee (co. Kerry), and Stillorgan (Co. Dublin). For more information on conating these offices, visit their ‘Contact Us‘ page.

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Address: 34 Paul Street, 1st Floor Cork City, T12 W14H
Tel: +353 21 427 3594
Email: info@jrs.ie

Nasc is an NGO based in Cork, Ireland. Nasc— the Irish word for ‘link’— empowers migrants to realise and fulfil their rights. They works with migrants and refugees to advocate and lead for change within Ireland’s immigration and protection systems, to ensure fairness, access to justice and the protection of human rights.

Nasc supports and empowers migrants to realise their rights through face to face personal free legal advocacy (found through the ‘Get Help‘ page) and also through the up-to-date information and self-advocacy tools provided on the Know Your Rights pages. 

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Address: 213 North Circular Road Phibsborough, Phibsborough Road
Tel: +353 018389664
Email: info@spirasi.ie

SPIRASI has been working with survivors of torture since early 2001 and is the only specialist centre in Ireland for the care and rehabilitation of survivors of torture and severe trauma. They are a member of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) since May 2003. SPIRASI aims to rehabilitate survivors of torture with the help of their medical doctors, psychologists, therapists and psycho-social workers by providing medical, therapeutic and social assistance. They see integration as an important part of our clients’ rehabilitation. SPIRASI provides free English, numeracy and IT classes, which are open not just to survivors of torture but refugees and asylum seekers as well.

SPIRASI also works to protect survivors of torture from the threat of refoulement, which means the forced return of a person to a country where they face persecution.

Additionally, they have a Medico-Legal Report service which  is an important legal document used to support a torture survivor’s asylum claim. For more information on accessing their services, visit the ‘Referrals‘ page.

Organisations providing other support to refugees

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Address: Unit 2 Killarney Court, Buckingham Street, Dublin, Ireland
Tel: +353 1 834 9851
Email: info@akidwa.ie

AkiDwA (Swahili for sisterhood) is an authoritative, minority ethnic-led national network of African and migrant women living in Ireland. AkiDwA works to promote equality and justice for migrant women living in Ireland by ensuring equal opportunities and access to resources. Their activities are focused on helping migrants to participate fully in all aspects of social, cultural, economic, civic and political life in Ireland.

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Address: Seán MacBride House, 48 Fleet Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
Tel: +353 (01) 863 8300
Email: info@amnesty.ie

Amnesty International Ireland’s mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of human rights. A large program of theirs is their push to end Direct Provision,  Ireland’s system of state provided accommodation and other basic necessities to people seeking international protection— a system wrought with human rights scandal. They argue that the living conditions, institutionalised regime and lack of appropriate support services are unacceptable for anyone, especially for such long periods of time.

To learn more about this campaign and the work they do to support refugees and migrants, visit ‘End Direct Provision.’

Website
Address: St Peter’s Church, Phibsboro, Dublin 7
Tel: +353 (1) 810 2580
Email: refugeecentrephibsboro@eircom.net

The Vincentian Refugee Centre provides services for people seeking asylum, refugees and people with permission to remain in the State. It is a collaborative ministry of the Daughters of Charity, the Society of Vincent dePaul and the Congregation of the Mission. The organisation aims to provide a place of welcome and hospitality and to aid those seeking asylum in finding a decent quality of life and living circumstances. They work for social justice and act to lessen the difficulties towards integration.

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Last updated March 2025